Growing pains Book Cover

Client:

Betty Arney

Partners:

Emma Tyler Writer Services

#BookCover #DigitalPainting #Photoshop #Stylized #Illustration

Artfully Illustrate

I collaborated with Betty Arney over several Zoom calls to redesign her book cover. We began with rough sketches to capture the essence of the story. Betty provided notes and suggestions that influenced the iterations, ultimately culminating in the final digital painting she loves.

Throughout the process, we exclusively used Photoshop brush techniques, ranging from broad strokes for shapes to finely detailed tones and shadows. Our focus was on stylization to authentically reflect the book’s essence.

Below is a breakdown of the process.

Work in progress

Initial Concept Sketches

I started sketching rough ideas during Zoom calls with Betty Arney to capture the essence of her book. Her feedback guided refinements step by step, improving composition and detail. The process relied on Photoshop brushstrokes, from broad outlines to fine tones and shadows, resulting in the stylized final version she loves.

The rough sketches explored initial concepts like the girl with her dog on the steps, testing poses and elements for emotional impact. They focused on basic shapes to establish scene flow and character placement.

Further sketches incorporated Betty’s notes, adding details like the bike and plants to build narrative depth while keeping the design playful and inviting.

Progressive Refinements

As I continued with a basic line sketch of the girl on steps with her dog, bike, and potted plants, focusing on simple outlines and placement. Then I added slight details like facial features and clothing folds, building on the initial composition.
Next, I refined shapes with shading hints and clearer elements such as the dog’s fur and bike wheels. After that, I introduced light tones and textures, making the scene more vivid with defined shadows on the steps and plants.

Finally, I applied full shading and subtle colors to enhance depth in the girl’s expression and background, resulting in a polished, fully colored version with vibrant details in the flowers, outfit, and sunny atmosphere.